The present invention relates in general to improving the determination of wheel speed for electronically-controlled vehicular braking systems, and, more specifically, to using suspension system information and a suspension system model to determine instantaneous wheel rolling radius for improved wheel speed calculation.
Electronically-controlled active vehicular braking systems include anti-lock braking (ABS), traction control (TC), and yaw stability control (YSC) functions. In such braking systems, sensors deliver input signals to an electronic control unit (ECU). The ECU sends output signals to electrically activated devices to apply, hold, and dump (relieve) pressure at wheel brakes of a vehicle. Electrically activated valves and pumps are used to control fluid pressure at the wheel brakes. Such valves and pumps can be mounted in a hydraulic control unit (HCU). The valves typically include two-state (on/off or off/on) solenoid valves and proportional valves.
A basic function of these braking systems is to detect wheel slip (e.g., skidding or loss of traction) and actuate the brakes (or reduce torque from the engine) in a manner to reduce or control wheel slip. An individual wheel speed is measured and wheel slip is detected by 1) comparing the individual wheel speed to the overall speed of the vehicle, and/or 2) monitoring the rate of change in the measured wheel speed. An angular rotation sensor mounted at the wheel produces pulses at a frequency proportional to the velocity at which the wheel spins. Using a predetermined nominal rolling radius of the particular wheel/tire combination, prior art systems convert the angular velocity of the wheel into a longitudinal speed for the particular wheel.
During actual driving conditions, the instantaneous rolling radius at a particular wheel will vary from the predetermined nominal rolling radius due to various forces acting on the tire, such as road undulations and load variations. The changes in rolling radius introduce error or noise into prior art wheel speed determinations. In order to avoid false activations of the braking system, the wheel speed needs to be filtered to remove this noise and/or the activation thresholds desensitized. Therefore, performance could be improved if a more accurate measurement of individual instantaneous wheel speed could be obtained.
Electronically-controlled suspension systems typically include semi-active suspension systems and active suspension systems to provide active damping for a vehicle. In such suspension systems, sensors deliver input signals to an electronic control unit (ECU). The ECU sends output signals to electrically activated devices to control the damping rate of the vehicle. Such devices include actuators to control fluid flow and pressure. The actuators typically include electrically activated valves such as two-state (digital) valves and proportional valves.
The present invention employs information from a suspension sensor to determine an instantaneous rolling radius for a particular wheel to improve a wheel speed measurement for that wheel.
According to one aspect of the invention, a method is provided for determining longitudinal speed of a vehicle wheel for use in a vehicle slip control system. An instantaneous angular rate of a vehicle wheel is measured via an individual wheel speed sensor. At least one operating characteristic of a portion of a vehicle suspension system associated with the vehicle wheel is measured, the suspension operating characteristic at least in part representative of an instantaneous rolling radius of the vehicle wheel. An instantaneous rolling radius deviation corresponding to the vehicle wheel is determined in response to the suspension operating characteristic. A longitudinal wheel speed signal is generated in response to the instantaneous angular rate and the instantaneous rolling radius deviation.